Learning should take place everyday in the classroom. Every student may not learn the same thing each day, but every student must learn something. A student may learn something of interest from a topic that has been introduced while another student may learn something new about the world or him/herself. As long as every student has learned, the days work has been fulfilled. A classroom should teach students more than subject matter. It must teach students how to survive in the world among other people, making group work essential. Within a classroom, students should begin to learn their personal strengths and weaknesses. Once identified, teachers should provide students with outlets to show their strengths to each other and society.
My teaching theory falls between essentialism and progressivism. Like an essentialist, I believe that students’ education should include “traditional American virtues such as respect for authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, and consideration for others” (Essentialism). I also believe in teaching the basic subjects- literature, math, science, and history. Unlike an essentialist, I do not believe that learning should be teacher centered. Learning should not be like Progressives and student centered either. There should be a median for the two. The teacher should serve as a guide for students. Teachers should provide background information and activities that require students to analyze scenarios for themselves. However, the teacher should let the students guide aspects of learning through questioning and allow the lesson to take multiple paths, even if it was not the intended learning outcome. When students begin to pull from their own experiences, learning becomes meaningful and memorable for them. Teachers must be open to the diversity of the classroom and guide learning based on the needs of all students so that everyone feels as if s/he is a part of the lesson.
My philosophy is based on principles that I have learned through Argosy University and personal experience. Experience has taught me that every student does not come to school to learn. While I have some students that are innately motivated to learn as much as they can and then show me how much they have learned, I have some that barely want to come to class. As a teacher, I feel it is my duty to teach every student regardless of how he/she feels about school. My unmotivated students need to see a relevance of the lesson at the beginning, while my motivated students connect the lesson at the end. My programs at Argosy have taught me that the diversity of my classrooms will determine what interests each student. In order to hook all students, I have to keep their gender, race, sexuality, social economic status, and religion in mind. After I learn what each student values in life can help me approach each lesson with confidence that there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
